WIRE: Vermont inventor runs for state senate on Marijuana Party ticket

DANVILLE, Vt. — His business is novelty toasters. His politics is pot. Galen Dively III is running for Vermont State Senator on the Marijuana Party ticket. Win or lose, he is preparing for an election night party.

“Is it even okay to party this year? I mean, even for a guy that makes a living selling Selfie Toasters, this is one strange if not sad year in American politics,” Mr. Dively muses, “That’s why I think it’s a perfect year to run on pot legalization. Recreational cannabis enjoys more support than any of our presidential candidates on the ballot this year.”

Over fifty percent of registered voters favor recreational marijuana legalization. Significantly less than fifty percent of registered voters favor Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton to be our next president.

Dively is president and artist at the Vermont Novelty Toaster Corporation. The company specializes in creating toasters that can toast the likeness of any face on a piece of bread. Their first successful novelty toaster was the Jesus Toaster. It created a buzz several years ago, culminating in several hours on the CNN News loop and a call by Vice President Gore wanting to purchase one. Before that was the company’s marijuana leaf toasters. “Yes, the pot leaf toaster was my first toaster!” Mr. Dively grins.

Today his passion for cannabis has him in a three-way race for two seats in the Vermont State Senate. The top two vote-getters become senators. So between a Democrat and a Republican you find Galen with his Marijuana Party. He hopes to be at least your second choice.

“In retail sales, you really prefer being the first choice, but with this race, I can be someone’s second choice, yet still win in a big way,” Mr. Dively says. “I am somewhat left libertarian, though I will gladly smoke pot with both Republican and Democrat friends alike,” Galen adds, not joking. “Seriously, this is a civil liberty and privacy issue whose time has finally come. Our drug laws erode respect in our government, the rule of law, and individual freedom. Just turn on the TV. We are living the consequences of fear and prejudice in our policy decisions.”

Dively started http://potheads.vote for his campaign website. Win or lose, he hopes to build it into a resource for cannabis voters. His toasters can be seen at http://burntimpressions.com. Vermont Novelty Toaster Corporation is a very small Vermont corporation that has been selling novelty toasters in one way or another since 2010.